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To the north, the territory is bordered by the
Timor Sea, the
Arafura Sea
and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Despite its large area—over 1,349,129 square kilometres (520,902 sq mi), making it the third largest Australian federal division—it is sparsely populated. With a population of 233,300 it is the least populous of Australia's eight major states and territories, having fewer than half as many people as
Tasmania.[1]

The coast of the territory was first seen by Europeans in the 17th century. The British were the first Europeans to attempt to settle the coastal regions in the 19th century; however no attempt was successful until the establishment of a settlement at
Port Darwin
in 1869. Today the economy is based on tourism, especially Kakadu National Park
in the Top End
and the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
(Ayers Rock) in central Australia, and mining.

Indigenous Australians
have lived in the present area of the Northern Territory for an estimated 40,000 years, and extensive seasonal trade links existed between them and the peoples of what is now Indonesia
for at least five centuries.

With the coming of the British, there were four early attempts to settle the harsh environment of the northern coast, of which three failed in starvation and despair. The Northern Territory was part of colonial
New South Wales
from 1825 to 1863, except for a brief time from February to December 1846, when it was part of the short lived colony of North Australia. It was part of South Australia from 1863 to 1911. Under the administration of colonial South Australia, the
overland telegraph
was constructed between 1870 and 1872.

A railway was also built between
Palmerston
and Pine Creek
between 1883 and 1889. The economic pattern of cattle raising and mining was established so that by 1911 there were 513,000 cattle. Victoria River Downs
was at one time the largest cattle station
in the world. Gold was found at Grove Hill in 1872 and at Pine Creek, Brocks Creek, Burrundi, and copper was found at
Daly River.

Letters Patent annexing the Northern Territory to South Australia, 1863

On 1 January 1911, a decade after federation, the Northern Territory was separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control.
Alfred Deakin
opined at this time "To me the question has been not so much commercial as national, first, second, third and last. Either we must accomplish the peopling of the northern territory or submit to its transfer to some other nation."[5]

In late 1912 there was growing sentiment that the name "Northern Territory" was unsatisfactory.[6][7]
The names "Kingsland" (after King George V
and to correspond with Queensland), "Centralia" and "Territoria" were proposed with Kingsland becoming the preferred choice in 1913. However, the name change never went ahead.[8][9]

During World War II, most of the Top End was placed under military government. This is the only time since Federation that part of an Australian state or territory has been under military control. After the war, control for the entire area was handed back to the Commonwealth.

During 1995–6 the Northern Territory was briefly one of the few places in the world with
legal voluntary euthanasia, until the Federal Parliament overturned
the legislation.[10]
Before the over-riding legislation was enacted, three people committed suicide through voluntary euthanasia, a practice orchestrated by Dr. Philip Nitschke.

The northern coast of Australia is on the left with Melville Island in the lower right.[11]

There are many very small settlements scattered across the territory, but the larger population centres are located on the single paved road that links Darwin to southern Australia, the
Stuart Highway, known to locals simply as "the track".

The Northern Territory is also home to two spectacular natural rock formations,
Uluru
(Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta
(The Olgas), which are sacred to the local Aboriginal peoples and which have become major tourist attractions.

The northern end, including Darwin, has a tropical climate with high humidity and two seasons, the wet (October to April) and dry season (May to September). During the dry season nearly every day is warm and sunny, and afternoon humidity averages around 30%. There is very little rainfall between May and September. In the coolest months of June and July, the daily minimum temperature may dip as low as 14 °C (57 °F), but very rarely lower, and frost has never been recorded.

The wet season is associated with
tropical cyclones
and monsoon
rains. The majority of rainfall occurs between December and March (the southern hemisphere summer), when thunderstorms
are common and afternoon relative humidity averages over 70% during the wettest months. On average more than 1,570 mm (62 in) of rain falls in the north. Rainfall is highest in north-west coastal areas, where rainfall averages from 1,800–2,100mm (72–84 in).

The central region is the
desert
centre of the country, which includes Alice Springs and Ayers Rock, and is semi-arid
with little rain usually falling during the hottest months from October to March. Central Australia receives less than 250 mm (9.8 in) of rain per year.

The highest temperature recorded in the territory was 48.3 °C (118.9 °F) at
Finke
on 1 and 2 January 1960. The lowest temperature was −7.5 °C (18.5 °F) at Alice Springs on 12 July 1976.[12]

The Northern Territory Legislative Council was the partly elected governing body from 1947 until its replacement by the fully elected Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 1974. The total enrolment for the 1947 election was 4,443, all of whom were white. The Northern Territory was split into five electorates: Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Batchelor, and Stuart.

Twenty-five members of the Legislative Assembly are elected to four-year terms from single-member
electorates.

For several years there has been agitation for full statehood. A
referendum
was held on the issue in 1998, which resulted in a 'no' vote. This was a shock to both the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments, for opinion polls showed most Territorians supported statehood. However, under the Australian Constitution, the Federal Government may set the terms of entry to full statehood. The Northern Territory was offered three Senators, rather than the twelve guaranteed to original states. (Because of the difference in populations, equal numbers of Senate seats would mean a Territorian's vote for a Senator would have been worth more than 30 votes in New South Wales
or Victoria.) Alongside what was cited as an arrogant approach adopted by then Chief Minister
Shane Stone, it is believed that most Territorians, regardless of their general views on statehood, were reluctant to adopt the particular offer that was made.[13]

The Northern Territory received self-government on 1 July 1978 under its own Administrator of the Northern Territory appointed by the
Governor-General of Australia. The Commonwealth government, not the Government of the Northern Territory, advises the governor-general on appointment of the Administrator, but by convention, consults first with the Territory Government. The current Administrator is
John Hardy.

The Northern Territory is divided into 17
local government areas, including 11 shires and five municipalities. Shire, city and town councils are responsible for functions delegated by the Northern Territory parliament, such as road infrastructure and waste management. Council revenue comes mostly from property taxes and government grants.

The population of the Northern Territory at the 2011 Australian census was 211,945,[14]
a 10 per cent increase from the 2006 census. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated a resident population of 233,300 in March 2012, taking into account residents overseas or interstate. The Territory's population represents 1% of the total population of Australia.[1][15]

Children wave Australian flags during an Anzac Day
parade in Palmerston

The Northern Territory's population is the youngest in Australia and has the largest proportion (23.2%) under 15 years of age and the smallest proportion (5.7%) aged 65 and over. The
median age
of residents of the Northern Territory is 31 years, six years younger than the national median age.[14]

More than 100 nationalities are represented in the Northern Territory's population, including more than 50 organisations representing different ethnic groups.[16]

The 2006 Census revealed that of the Northern Territory's population, 68.4% is of
European
descent. 64,491 (30.6%) English with 44,662 (20.2%), Irish with 14,346 (6.8%), Scottish
with 11,759 (5.6%), German with 7,729 (3.7%) and Italian with 3,308 (1.5%). Indigenous Australian
people make up 32.5% of the Northern Territory's population, while Chinese people
with 4,081 make up (1.9%).

Indigenous Australians own some 49% of the land. The life expectancy of Aboriginal Australians is well below that of non-Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory, a fact that is mirrored elsewhere in Australia. ABS statistics suggest that Indigenous Australians die about 11 years earlier than the average Australian. There are Aboriginal communities in many parts of the territory, the largest ones being the
Pitjantjatjara
near Uluru, the
Arrernte
near Alice Springs, the Luritja
between those two, the Warlpiri
further north, and the Yolngu
in eastern Arnhem Land.

In terms of birthplace, according to the 2011 census 25.4% of the population were born overseas.[14]
2.5% of Territorians were born in England, 1.9% in New Zealand, 1.7% in Philippines, 0.9% in India and 0.5% in the United States.

More than 54% of Territorians live in Darwin, located in the territory's north (Top End). Less than half of the territory's population live in the rural Northern Territory.

In the 2006 census, 54.6% of Territorians described themselves as Christian. Roman Catholics form the single largest religious group in the territory with 21.1% of the Northern Territory's population, followed by
Anglican
(12.3%), Uniting Church
(7%) and Lutheran
(3.6%). Buddhism
is the territory's largest non-Christian religion (1.4%), followed by Islam
(0.5%) and Hinduism
(0.2%). Around 23% of Territorians do not profess any religion.[18]

A Northern Territory school education consists of six years of primary schooling, including one transition year, three years of middle schooling, and three years of secondary schooling. In the beginning of 2007, the Northern Territory introduced Middle School for Years 7–9 and High School for Years 10–12. Northern Territory children generally begin school at age five. On completing secondary school, students earn the
Northern Territory Certificate of Education
(NTCE). Students who successfully complete their secondary education also receive a tertiary entrance ranking, or ENTER score, to determine university admittance. An International Baccalaureate is offered at one school in the Territory – Kormilda College.

Northern Territory schools are either publicly or privately funded. Public schools, also known as state or government schools, are funded and run directly by the Department of Education.[19]
Private fee-paying schools include schools run by the Catholic Church and independent schools, some elite ones similar to English public schools. Some Northern Territory Independent schools are affiliated with
Protestant,
Lutheran,
Anglican,
Greek Orthodox
or Seventh-day Adventist
churches, but include non-church schools and an Indigenous school.

As of 2009, the Northern Territory had 151 public schools, 15 Catholic schools and 21 independent schools. 39,492 students were enrolled in schools around the Territory with 29,175 in public schools, and 9,882 in independent schools. The Northern Territory has about 4,000 full-time teachers.

The
Northern Territory Library
is the Territory's research and reference library. It is responsible for collecting and preserving the Northern Territory documentary heritage and making it available through a range of programs and services. Material in the collection includes books, newspapers, magazines, journals, manuscripts, maps, pictures, objects, sound and video recordings and databases.

The Northern Territory's economy is largely driven by mining, which is concentrated on energy producing
minerals, petroleum and energy and contributes around $2.5 billion to the
gross state product
and employs over 4,600 people. Mining accounts for 26 per cent of the gross state product in 2006–2007 compared to just 7 per cent nationally.[21]

The economy has continued to grow during the 2005–2006 financial year from the past two financial years. Between 2003 and 2006 the gross state product had risen from $8,670 million to $11,476 million and increase of 32.4 per cent. During the three years to 2006–2007 the Northern Territory
gross state product
grew by an average annual rate of 5.5 per cent.[22]Gross state product
per capita in the Northern Territory ($72,496) is higher than any Australian state or territory, and is also higher than the gross domestic product per capita for Australia ($54,606). This can be attributed to the recent mining and resources boom.

The Northern Territory's exports were up 19 per cent during 2005–2006. The largest contributor to the territory's exports was: petroleum and natural gas (33.4%), metal ores and concentrates (20.0%), other manufacturing (5.9 per cent) and agriculture (4.9%). Imports to the Northern Territory totalled $2,887.8 million which consisted of mainly machinery and equipment manufacturing (58.4%) and petroleum, coal, chemical and associated product manufacturing (17.0%).[23]

The principal mining operations are
bauxite
at Gove Peninsula
where the production is estimated to increase 52.1% to $254 million in 2007–08, manganese
at Groote Eylandt, production is estimated to increase 10.5% to $1.1 billion which will be helped by the newly developed mines include Bootu Creek and Frances Creek, gold which is estimated to increase 21.7 per cent to $672 million at the Union Reefs plant and
uranium
at Ranger Uranium Mine.[24]

Tourism is one of the major industries on the Northern Territory. Iconic destinations such as
Uluru
and Kakadu
make the Northern Territory a popular destination for domestic and international travellers. Diverse landscapes,
waterfalls, wide open spaces,
aboriginal culture, wild and untamed
wildlife, all create a unique[clarification needed]
opportunity for the visitor to immerse themselves in the natural wonder that the Northern Territory offers[citation needed]. In 2005–06, 1.38 million people visited the Northern Territory. They stayed for 9.2 million nights and spent over $1.5 billion.

The territory is promoted with the slogan "You'll Never Never Know if You Never Never Go". This was implemented as a result of the Kennedy Review in 1992.

The Northern Territory is the most sparsely populated state or territory in Australia. From its establishment in 1869 the Port of Darwin was the major Territory supply for many decades. It was damaged in the 1942 Japanese air raids and subsequently restored. In the late 1960s improved roads in adjoining States linking with the Territory, port delays and rapid economic development led to uncertainty in port and regional infrastructure development. As a result of the Commission of Enquiry established by the Administrator,[25]
port working arrangements were changed, berth investment deferred and a port masterplan prepared.[26]
Extension of rail transport was then not considered because of low freight volumes.

Despite its sparse population there is a network of sealed roads, including two National Highways, linking with adjoining States and connecting the major Territory population centres, and some other centres such as Uluru (Ayers Rock),
Kakadu
and Litchfield National Parks. The Stuart Highway, known as "The Track", runs north to south, connecting Darwin and Alice Springs to Adelaide. Some of the sealed roads are single lane bitumen. Many unsealed (dirt) roads connect the more remote settlements.

The Northern Territory is one of the few remaining places in the world with no speed restrictions on public roads. On 1 January 2007 a default speed limit of 110 km/h was introduced on roads outside of urban areas (Inside urban areas of 40, 50 or 60 km/h). Speeds of up to 130 km/h are permitted on some major highways, such as the Stuart Highway.[27]
On 1 February 2014, the speed limit was removed on a 204 km portion of the Stuart Highway for a one-year trial period.[28]

The radio stations in Alice Springs are also broadcast on the AM and FM frequencies. ABC stations include Triple J (94.9FM), ABC Classic FM (97.9FM),
783 ABC Alice Springs
(783AM) and ABC Radio National (99.7FM). There are two community stations in the town--CAAMA
(100.5FM) and 8CCC (102.1FM). The commercial stations, which are both owned by the same company are Sun 96.9
(96.9FM) and 8HA
(900AM). Two additional stations, Territory FM (98.7FM) and Radio TAB
(95.9FM) are syndicated from Darwin and Brisbane respectively.